Iroh's Folly
by Booter-Freak
Summary: In order to help his nephew sleep, Iroh decides to drug Zuko. What could POSSIBLY go wrong? Last chapter, UP!
1. A Drink to Sleep

There are ENTIRELY too many Zuko fics circulating the net, so I decided to dedicate an adventure to the best uncle around, Iroh.

* * *

Ch 1 

I sit on my stool, watching Zuko. Pacing, as usual. He stalks back and forth across the helm, looking out into the sky, searching. Impatient, wanting to be in action, eager to capture the Avatar. As usual.

"Prince Zuko," I call, using one hand to block out the morning light, "You should get some sleep. Wearing a groove into the ship's deck will not bring us to the Avatar any faster." Zuko lets out a frustrated breath, but does not answer. I think if he could swim to the Avatar faster, he would throw himself overboard this instant.

"When was the last time you had some rest, Prince Zuko?" I persist. He shrugs and grunts a response, still pacing. "The helmsman said you didn't go to bed last night. That would mean you've been up for two days straight."

"I don't need a _bedtime_, Uncle. I can take of myself," he retorts.

I am not about to be brushed off with a few short words. I worry my nephew is pushing himself too far. "But you are _not_ taking care of yourself," I chide. I notice Zuko stops pacing. "You need to get some rest."

"I'll rest when we capture the Avatar! We're close on his trail..."

"Prince Zuko," I sigh, "we've been 'close on his trail' for two days. Even if we should catch up to him, what good will you be fighting him when you are exhausted?"

"I'm not tired," he says defiantly, though the slight slump in his shoulders indicates otherwise.

"Your mind and body have been working too hard–"

"Not hard enough..."

"You _need_ to rest."

"_I said I'm not tired!_" he snaps at me. The sun behind him blinds me to his face, but I know all too well the anger and frustration etched there. Gah, he's so stubborn. Definitely something he inherited from his father. Well, no sense in arguing this further. Zuko has already made up his mind, and I do not have the energy so early in the morning to fight his strong will.

"You are crankier than usual when you don't sleep," I quip as I go below deck. The morning sun is too bright for me to endure right now.

* * *

It is late afternoon, and still no sign of the Avatar. We have docked in a port for the time being, while the men load supplies on the ship for another long sailing. Walking on deck, I find Zuko pouring over maps of the area, checking off the small islands for possible hiding places. Did he even bother to leave the ship to stretch and get some fresh air? I approach him. His golden eyes, well...the good one at least, is underlined with a faint purple. He is tired, even if he doesn't recognize it. 

"Hmmmm...a pleasant afternoon," I note. "Good for a nice, long nap." A slight frown furrows his brow, but he gives no other sign of acknowledgment to me. "The cool, gentle breeze, the soft lulling of the waves, the gentle sound of the sea..."

"Stop."

"Stop what, Prince Zuko?"

"You know very well what. I need my concentration."

"You need rest."

"Will you _stop_ repeating that like some _mantra_? I'll rest when I need it. Right _now_ I need to concentrate," he growls, still bent over his maps.

Prince Zuko is still as resistant as ever, I see. But I did not come unarmed. "If you must concentrate, then you should concentrate on this," I reply, calmly waving a paper scroll before him, his eyes following it.

"What is it?"

"A report on the recent successes against the Earth Kingdom. Your task may be only to capture the Avatar, but as prince of your nation, it is prudent to keep up on matters of state. Unless, of course, you're busy playing 'X marks the spot'," I answer, nodding to his maps. He gives me a sour look, but takes the scroll from me and opens it. "Prince Zuko," I add, gesturing to a more comfortable, backed chair on the other side of the deck, "The writing is small and hard to see...you will have difficulties reading it stooped over on this stool. You should sit down over there, where the light is better. After all, you don't want to ruin your..." My voice dies before I reach the last word.

Zuko's scowl deepens, but he rises and heads for the chair. "I can see perfectly well. My vision isn't dimmed by _old age_..." he mutters acidly, sitting down. I smile as he begins to read. That report is one of the driest accounts of state happenings I've ever come across. And Zuko is seated in a very comfortable chair–one of my favorites, actually. It isn't long before he begins to nod off. I celebrate my victory with a grin as his chin comes to rest on his chest.

But, alas, my victory is short lived. One of the men runs up the ramp to the ship and shouts to me and sleeping Prince Zuko, "Sire, we have a lead on the Avatar! He passed here but yesterday!" I try to signal him to be silent, but it is too late. His loud voice rouses Zuko and the word "Avatar" brings him to full alert. With speed I have never seen, Zuko is out of the chair and grilling the soldier. I sigh. So close...

* * *

It is late in the evening, and I am eating dinner with Zuko. The fish is particularly excellent today. Prince Zuko has been in a flurry ever since hearing we were a day's journey behind the Avatar. He is edgy, excited. Where does he get all this energy from, especially after two days of no sleep? I certainly don't remember being this animated when _I_ was in my youth... 

Knowing that no amount of coercion, nagging, or trickery such as I played this afternoon was going to get him to sleep, I was beginning to get a little exasperated. Zuko was setting himself up for trouble. We have followed many rumors before, yet only a handful of times have they been accurate–Zuko should not get overexcited and ignore resting. And if the rumor should be true, that would be even worse. If he comes across the Avatar in his tired state, is apt to make mistakes that can harm him. His zeal is getting to be a little too much.

He chatters away at the other end of the table, trying ideas and theories out on me. However, I am not listening. I am watching his movements intently, especially any reaches for his tea. Since Prince Zuko is too excited to sleep, and any attempts to get him to do so would be in vain, I have come to a last, desperate attempt to get him to rest.

I have decided to drug him.

Yes, yes, I feel very guilty about it, but what else could I, his caring uncle, do? I slipped a mild– well, perhaps _not_ so mild–sedative into his tea before dinner. Once he drinks the tea, he should fall into a deep sleep for a few hours and wake up refreshed. Underhanded, yes, but again, what else could I do in these circumstances? His poor, concerned uncle?

Unfortunately, getting Zuko to drink his tea is as challenging a task as getting him to sleep. He has hardly touched his meal, since his mouth has been too busy running ideas and plans concerning the Avatar. And not a single sip of his tea! It is irritating me to the point it almost ruins my lovely fish dinner. Almost.

"Uncle!"

My attention is returned to the immediate situation. "Mm?" I respond intelligently.

"I _said_, do you think an ambush would work? If we split up and attack from the angles I suggested..."

I close my eyes and sigh, as though I were heavily weighing what he has said. I have _no idea _what he is talking about. "Well, what do _you_ think...?" I feign.

"I already _told_ you what I thought!" he exclaims, exasperated.

"So you have," I reply slowly, trying not to give myself away, "but did you consider it completely? From all angles?"

The question now on him, he frowns and ponders. "Well, the ground would be completely covered by my men...and the branches and foliage from the wooded area would delay any escapes _up_ long enough to leave him open to attack...but if he used the wind as a distraction...and uses his powers to punch an opening in the back part of the circle...then...maybe...hmmm..." Prince Zuko is back to calculating and I am off the spot.

While he runs scenarios through his head, I add conversationally, "Prince Zuko, this fish is exquisite, and the tea I made compliments its taste quite nicely...you should try it. It is _delicious_." I smile winningly, only to have it evaporate when I see Zuko isn't listening. At least I had the consideration to _pretend_!

"Prince Zuko, eat your meal. It is too good to waste..."

He looks up, irritated. "Telling me to go to bed, and then to eat my dinner? I thought you came to _train_ me, not to _nanny_ me..."

"I wouldn't have to, Prince Zuko, if you would do what's in your own best interest..."

"Capturing the _Avatar_ is in my best interest!" he hisses, as if I were thick.

"Hmph! And you say _I'm_ the one with mantras..." I find myself replying grumpily.

"_I_ know what my _priorities_ are," he retorts, slamming his fork down on the table.

"Are you going to eat your meal and drink your tea, or not?" I sigh, once again eying his cup. Was it so much effort for him to comply with his uncle's well-meaning wishes?

"Why are you so persistent about it?" he questions, eyes narrowed. "You never used to be so adamant about this stuff before..." Once again, I find my nephew's mind too sharp for my own good.

"Just concerned for your health, Prince Zuko. You _are_ my favorite nephew..." Zuko eyes me suspiciously from across the table. Ah, I most certainly hope he is not onto me...

He snorts and puts on a haughty face. "I can take care of myself, Uncle."

That he most certainly can... Well, since my words ring on deaf ears, I suppose I'll have to leave it to experience to make him a wiser man. Oh, hell... All these silly attempts to coerce Zuko have left me exhausted. It appears I am the one more in need of that sleep than him. I reach for his tea. Once I finish drinking it, I think I'll go retire to my room for a nice night's slumber...

I am startled when I feel his hand grab my wrist. "What are you doing?" he demands.

"Well, you were not going to drink your tea, so I..."

"I was _going _to drink it! Ah, _now_ I see why you were so bent on whether or not I was going to eat my meal–you were eyeing it up for yourself!" he accuses. I blink in response. "Can you at least give me a chance to enjoy _some_ of my dinner before you attempt to make off with it?" he fumes, putting his tea cup not so gently down on the table next to his plate, and violently stabbing into his fish with his fork.

Well. This was unexpected. If I had known _this_ was all it took to get him to drink his sedative, I would have made a grab for his meal the moment I saw it. I polish off the rest of my dinner while I watch Zuko. He eats his fish, and takes several long sips of tea. Victory at last! It takes all my soldier's discipline not to smile.

I relax and close my eyes, lacing my hands over my belly, digesting my food while I wait for Zuko to finish. I let out a contented sigh when...

_Plop._

I crack open my eyes to discover Zuko fallen over face-first into his fish. I stare.

Ah. This was not good. Perhaps I put too much sedative in? He shouldn't have fallen asleep in the middle of his meal...there should have been enough time to find a sleeping place more comfortable than his dinner plate...

I debate what I should do with him. How can I get him to his room without having the guards see me drag his body around? A few hours of sleep should not be this much trouble...

My dilemma is interrupted when one of the guards barges in, breathless. "Sir! We...!" He looks down, and finds Zuko asleep in with his face in his dinner, and me, sitting at the opposite end of the table, looking back at him. "What...?" he asks, completely bewildered.

"Prince Zuko is asleep," I explained, as though the whole situation was quite normal. The soldier gapes for a while. This is most likely the first time he has seen his prince with a face full of fish... "What is it you came to tell us?" I inquire, drawing his attention back to me.

"Ahh...yes! The Avatar! We have spotted him! We saw his bison from a distance flying to a nearby island! We don't think he spotted us, due to the cover of night. Should we engage pursuit?" he entreated anxiously.

I let out a breath. What wretched timing...

* * *

Poor Iroh! What will he do now? I'll try to have the next chapter up in a reasonable amount of time, but I have a feeling it might be a little tricky to write..._le sigh_... 


	2. Fighting the Avatar

Iroh shows off his mad firebending skillz as he faces off with none other than the Avatar! Don't worry, the funny didn't die, it's just more action-y this chapter. Okay, a LOT more.

I don't own Iroh, because Iroh is too _cool_ to be owned.

* * *

Ch 2 

I look out from the deck to the island pointed out to me as the one the Avatar was occupying.

I had already cleaned Zuko up and placed him in his room. Some of the soldiers had tried to rouse him, but were unsuccessful. The men do not know his sleep is drug-induced, so I am hoping to keep that a secret. Mostly in the interest of self-preservation. Zuko will likely sleep through the entire night. And right when we had stumbled across the Avatar, of all times...

After making sure Zuko was taken care of, I debated on whether to pursue the Avatar. Whether we capture the Avatar or not, Zuko will be furious for sleeping through it...and his anger will be much worse if he discovers I had drugged him. I pray for his ignorance. I suppose I could let the Avatar go, swear the men to secrecy, and Zuko would wake up none the wiser...but, however much I would like to avoid his anger, a chance to relieve my nephew from a exile is much more important.

I decide to tail the Avatar and give the command, setting our ship in motion. As the ship increases speed, I groan at the folly I have landed myself in. Still, I am not going to miss out on an opportunity to ensure my nephew's return to his homeland. Hopefully he will forgive me.

Hopefully.

We reach the island and anchor offshore. Taking smaller boats, the men and I reach the beach of the island. I give them the order to split up and comb the area. Things will go much smoother if we manage to take the Avatar by surprise.

My group and I search through the wooded area of the island, scouring bushes and any crevices for signs of travelers. All seems quiet. I begin to wonder if perhaps my men were seeing things when they "spotted" the Avatar, when a small, furry creature drops down from above and lands at my feet. White fur, dark belly, large green eyes, and long ears. I do not recognize the species of the animal, though it looks familiar. It chirps at my feet as I stare down at it.

"Why, hello, little fellow! What are you doing around here this time of night?" I coo sweetly to the fuzzy mammal.

It screams.

And screams.

"Momo? What's wrong, boy?" I hear a young voice off in the distance. The Avatar and his companions? I look down at the creature scampering off. _Little monster!_

We chase after it, and find an encampment with three young people standing in alert. They spot us and attempt to run, but the noises created by the creature alerted other scouting groups to their position, and are surrounded.

I squint in the darkness. This is the first time I have been so up close to the Avatar and his companions. They are just children! The oldest boy must be a year or so younger than Zuko, and the other boy...the _Avatar_...is even younger than Zuko when he was banished! I feel a little twinge in my chest.

I signal my men to capture the Avatar's friends. Hopefully, with his friends already taken, the Avatar will surrender quietly and we can avoid a conflict. But, much like the rest of today, things do not go according to plan.

The Avatar uses his wind powers to create a flurry to confuse my men, then sends a powerful wind blast to punch a hole in the back part of the circle and escape. Heh. Just as Zuko said he would...

We chase them through the woods until we reach a field and open fire. They are able to dodge most of the attacks, as we are not seriously trying to harm them. No sense in injuring children. I order the men to focus on apprehending the Avatar's friends, but the Avatar is using all his powers to keep us from approaching. The older boy retaliates by flinging a strange blade at us. It knocks one of the men on the head and splits his helmet in half. Had he not been wearing one, it would have been his skull.

The bent weapon curves its path and glides back into the boy's hands. Ah, that is why it is shaped so. He makes another throw, and this time it spins viciously towards me. I duck, and as it whistles mere inches past my head, I discreetly blow a blast of hot air on it. The blade whizzes back towards its owner, as it did last time. But this time, as it lands in his hands...

"_OW! Hot! Hot! Hot!_" He juggles his weapon like a hot potato.

Using the confusion created by the older boy's yelping, I hurtle a fireball to separate the Avatar from his friends. The blast knocks them in opposite directions. "After them!" I shout to my men, pointing to the Avatar's companions. As they advance, the Avatar rises to stop them. I create another fire blast to keep him occupied.

"Run!" the Avatar shouts as he deflects the attack.

His friends begin to make for the woods, but the girl stops and asks, "What about you?"

"He will be fighting me," I answer, placing myself in front of him. Unable to delay any longer, his friends flee into the woods. "We'll come back for you!" the older boy hollers as they disappear into the brush.

"Capture them," I order, "I will take care of this one." The men hesitate, then rush off into the woods, hot on their trail. I turn my attention completely to the Avatar. His young face is angry and worried. _This_ child was the threat to Ozai's rule? It seemed a bit unfair, fighting a child.

"Out of my way!" he shouts, trying to intimidate me. I stand unmoved.

"If you want to help your friends," I call, "you will have to go through me first, little one."

He snorts and charges. Rushing forward, he brings out a staff, and leaps upwards at least ten feet. As he descends, he brings his staff down to strike me. He gapes as I catch it easily in one hand. I swing my arm around, and the Avatar, still holding onto his staff with an iron grip, follows. I bring the staff downwards brutally, the Avatar along with it. He hits the earth hard with an "Oomph!" and relinquishes his grip.

As he staggers to his feet, I thrust forwards, poking him forcefully in the chest with the end of his pole. He stumbles backwards onto the ground, and I give him two sharp "whaps" to the head. This is what Zuko has failed to capture so far? I am going to have to create more rigorous drills for him when I get back.

The Avatar uses an air blast to propel himself backwards and put some space between him and myself. I see...he is not a close range fighter–too open to attacks. Well, he about to find I am also an excellent long distance combatant. "If you want your stick back," I call, waving it in the air, "you'll have to take it from me."

The Avatar frowns and sweeps the ground with his foot in a low kick. An arc of wind whooshes forward to knock me off my feet. Using the staff as leverage, I am able to jump over the attack. The wind knocks the staff out from under me, but by that time I am ready, and land easily on my feet. I smile at the Avatar, waiting for his next attack.

He breaths in deeply, then makes a swift movement with his hands, sending a powerful blast of air to overwhelm me. Most people consider using fire as a shield in this situation a foolish thing, much like "pissing in the wind", but a skilled firebender can create a condensed and extremely hot flame to super-heat the air. And when air is heated...

It rises.

I observe the Avatar is surprised to see his attack deflected upwards. He looks back at me, nervous. I believe he is beginning to understand what sort of firebender he is dealing with. Repeating the same hand motion, but more forcefully, the Avatar sends another blast of air, this one more powerful than the last. However, simply adding more strength to the same attack is not enough to defeat me.

I am very surprised when I find myself nearly being knocked off my feet. My shield of flame manages to heat some of the air up and away, but the force and amount of wind has tripled, and it is taking all my energy to stay upright.

I outlast the attack, much to the Avatar's shock and dismay. However, I am panting slightly from the effort it took to resist his assault. He is much more powerful than I originally thought. If I am to fight him without resorting to seriously hurting him, I will need to get within close range again. An idea enters into my mind, and I smile.

Placing my palm face down into the ground, I create a spark. With a shout, I radiate out a ring of fire across the field. The grass is dry, and good for burning. As the ground becomes alive with fire, I use my bending skills to halt the flames at the edge fo the field–no sense in burning a perfectly good forest.

In order to avoid being scorched, the Avatar uses his wind powers to keep himself aloft while the ground below him is eaten by flames. As I expected him to. The effort to propel the wind-ball holding him up is expending most of his energy and concentration. He will be unable to make any air-attacks so long as he has to maintain that ball. I casually walk across the field towards him, the fire I created parting way so I may pass. Soon, I am not ten feet from where he is hovering. The boy struggles to maintain the ball, but is starting to slip.

I use his staff to make several swats at him, as though he were one of those colorful paper candy containers I have seen children break open during celebrations. But the boy is a wily one, and deftly evades my swings. Eventually I tire of this, I prepare to make a mild fire attack to bring him down. My plan is stopped as the Avatar creates a large whirlwind of air, which quickly forms into a narrow cone shape. A tornado. The flames in the field are extinguished by the ferocious wind, and I am thrown backwards by the force of his air current at such close proximity.

I was hoping to avoid having to hurt the boy by going easy on him, but since he proves to be more difficult to capture than I had originally estimated, it seems I will have to be a little more rough.

I feign knockout.

The winds eventually die down, and the Avatar looks at my limp body. Seeing me "unconscious" he begins a cautious approach towards me. As he makes a tentative reach for his staff, still in my grasp, I make a grab for him. He is too quick for me, unfortunately, and manages to escape my reach. He ducks and makes another grab for his staff when...

_BOMP! _The Avatar flies backwards.

I pat my gut. I always knew it would come in handy for _something _other than storing meals.

Looking down at the sprawled Avatar, I pause...how long has this fight been going on? Too long. I shall have to finish this _now_.

I take in a deep breath–as much air as my lungs will take. Aiming towards the Avatar, I exhale furiously. Wrathful white flames flare from my mouth as I breathe out. The Avatar uses his wind to protect himself from the intensity of my fiery breath, but he is being overwhelmed by the heat and strength. It is taking all his energy not to be burned. Hopefully he will wear out soon, and I can overcome him quickly.

But, much like the rest of today, things do not go according to plan.

I am startled out of my attack as I feel the Avatar's staff knocked from my hand. Looking over, I see the older boy and his sister standing at the edge of the clearing. The bent blade the older boy threw whizzes back into his hands. If I had not been holding the staff as I had, the weapon probably would have struck me. Realizing I was forgetting myself, I turn back to where the Avatar was, only to find him gone. Whirling around, I see him reaching for his staff. I let out a belch of fire, but he nimbly evades it, and grabs his staff. He flips over me, landing two sharp "whaps" on my head as he did so, and races towards his friends.

My men come rushing out of the woods, closing in on the three. What have they been _doing_ this entire time? Not that I was one to chide...

As we closed in tighter, we saw the girl wave her arms frantically in the air. Puzzled, I look up, only to see a massive furry beast descending very rapidly upon us. "APPA!" the girl yells as loud as she can, "**SIT!**"

We scatter to avoid the crushing weight of the beast. The beast lands with a ground-shaking _THUD_, and three children hop on. The animal launches itself into the air once more, and the men and I are stunned for a moment such a heavy thing is capable of flight. We attack them, but the beast is rising too quickly, and the Avatar manages to deflect our fire-attacks with some crafty airbending.

They fly off into the distance. Further pursuit is impossible–our rowboats are beached on the other side of the island, and by the time we board the ship, the Avatar will have put a comfortable distance between us. I heave a sigh. It seems they have eluded us once more.

There is a pause. "Prince Zuko will be very angry when he finds out about this..." one of the soldiers murmurs morosely, reminding me of my sticky predicament.

"_If_ he finds out..." another muses out loud.

A long silence.

"Not a word," I sigh, and the men enthusiastically agree.

* * *

Whew! I have a _new respect _for the writers of Avatar–writing Fire/Air fight scenes are HARD! Much more difficult to write than the other fight scenes I've done...It took me, like, ALL of math class to sketch out that battle. :P Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter, Iroh will try to talk his way out of Prince Zuko's wrath. And that's MUCH harder than capturing an Avatar. The guy just can't get a break... 


	3. Sleeping Beauty Rises

So you drugged your nephew and then botched an attempt to capture the Avatar, eh? Iroh, you're going to have to be a _lot_ more quick-witted than you were in the Southern Air Temple episode if your going to avoid the wrath of a very groggy, very PISSED OFF Prince Zuko...

* * *

Ch 3

The men and I steal back onto the ship and place everything exactly as it was before this whole farce started. Wounds are cleaned and covered, fresh clothes are put on, and all equipment is stored away. Prince Zuko still has not awoken from his sleep. I sit on the deck, watching the sunrise, enjoying the quiet on the ship as we sail northwards. All is still and peaceful.

The calm before the storm.

I wince when I hear a noise below deck. He is awake. I sigh audibly. After a night of mishap and battle, this is not how I wanted to spend my morning. Hearing the noises growing louder, I brace myself for the inevitable.

_BAM! _The door to the deck slams open and Zuko storms out. "_Uncle!_" he bellows, closing the distance between him and I in a few long strides. Ah, so it begins.

"Good morning, Prince Zuko."

"Yes. _Morning_. _Why_ is it morning, suddenly?" he shouts.

I shrug nonchalantly. "There is nothing sudden about it."

He stares at me angrily. I can feel his fury ready to spark at the slightest provocation. "Yes, _there is. _One moment, I'm eating my dinner, the next, it's sunrise! _What happened_?" he barks.

"I should think it would be obvious, Prince Zuko," I reply in a calm voice, trying to soothe him, "Rare an event as it is, all that happened is that you had a good night's sleep. Exactly what you needed. Surely you would recognize that...?"

"_When_ did I fall _asleep_?" he questions shortly, rubbing his head. The drug must still be wearing off.

"Right after dinner. I always find myself a little sleepy after a good meal," I answer, patting my belly and adding a yawn for effect. Seeing me yawn, Prince Zuko also begins to do so himself, but stifles it.

"I don't remember..."

"Of course you don't," I quickly interrupt, adding a scolding note to my voice, "You were exhausted. I was barely able to get you to your room." I look him in the eye and fake a frown. "Prince Zuko, I told you the importance of getting regular sleep. Collapsing from exhaustion? What if you had been fighting the Avatar when that happened?" I wait a moment to let Prince Zuko consider this. His eyes shift downwards. Good. "Falling asleep in the middle of battle can be deadly–you were lucky you happened to be on your ship! Next time, when I tell you the importance of resting, you will listen to your wise, old uncle, won't you...?"

He huffs slightly and turns away. Excellent! I have made my escape and impressed upon Zuko the importance of sleep. Two birds with one stone! Very crafty, Iroh, very–

"The sun..."

"What?" I ask, off guard.

"The sun. Its position." Zuko whirls towards me and snaps, "Why are we heading _north_?"

Ah. Curses...I had forgot. We had changed directions of the ship in order to follow the Avatar. Before, we had been following the rumors he was heading east, but after our encounter with the Avatar last night, the men and I saw him flying north and changed course. Prince Zuko didn't know this, of course.

"Ahhh..."

Zuko turns to the helmsman and yells, "_What are you doing, fool_? The Avatar is heading _east_! You thrown us completely off course! Turn this ship around, _NOW_." The helmsman stutters, but makes no move. Prince Zuko's temper begins to flare as he clenches his fist and roars, "What are you _waiting _for? _Do it!_"

"Prince Zuko..." I start, placing a hand on his shoulder. I withdraw it almost immediately when I find it tensed and very hot. Things were about to get ugly, quickly.

"_What!_"

"We should be heading north, not east–"

"I don't _WANT_ to head _north_, I _want_ to go _EAST_! The Avatar is in _that_ direction!" he shouts loudly, then winces and puts a hand to his head.

"Prince Zuko, if it hurts to shout, maybe you shouldn't do so..." I suggest, but halt myself as he gives me a murderous glare. Clearing my throat, I continue, "The information we received about the Avatar heading further east is incorrect. If we want to follow him, we should travel north."

"Incorrect? Since when? Information on the docks said he was headed east...when–_why_ did you decide to turn north? _What happened while I was sleeping_?" Prince Zuko's voice has a suspicious edge to it. I gather my wits about me and think of an answer as quickly as I can.

"_Well!_"

"We...ran across another ship. The people aboard told us they saw a flying buffalo heading north that matched the description of the Avatar's animal guide identically," I manage.

"A _ship_? Out in these waters? What kind of ship?" he demands. I can see his mind working furiously to figure things out...I will have to be very careful. The men on deck slow their movements and listen intently.

"It was...a fishing boat. Yes! We came across a fisherman–"

"Is _that _why I smell fish?"

I blink.

"_Fish_?"

"Yes. I've been smelling it ever since I woke up..."

Oh...the fish from last night. Perhaps, in my haste, I did not so such a thorough job of cleaning Zuko's face as I thought. "Why, yes Prince Zuko. That is exactly why!" I reply quickly, trying to smile convincingly.

Prince Zuko frowns. "Wait...it's only sunrise now, and I fell asleep after dinner, which was after sunset. What was a fisherman doing out in these waters at_ night_?"

"Night-fishing?" I shrug. Prince Zuko's frown deepens. As I try to think of something quickly, I notice Prince Zuko looking over my shoulder.

"Is that _smoke_?" he inquires, pointing to a thin trail of smoke wisping upwards from the island I had fought the Avatar. I clench my teeth. That must have been from when I the field I burned while battling the him a scant few hours before. The dry grass must have sent up more smoke than I thought. "_What's going on?_" he shouts, his angry golden eyes locking on me. I stumble for an answer when...

"Sir, the smoke is from the fishing boat we came across a little while before dawn," one of the soldiers cuts in, "It's engine was blown and was stranded. That's why it was out in these waters so late at night. We helped fix the engine and send the fisherman on his way, in exchange for some information concerning the Avatar." I turn and stare at the soldier. I could kiss him for his ingenious answer!

Prince Zuko sighs, exasperated. "Why didn't you just tell me this from the beginning?" he asks me irritably.

"Prince Zuko, you should know better than to bother your uncle so early in the morning," I reply, yawning. Zuko almost yawns again but stops himself.

He whirls and orders the helmsman to keep on course, who looks visibly relieved. It seems Prince Zuko has accepted what we told him as the truth. Of course, none of the men and I will tell him about the Avatar incident, so long as we can help it. And I will certainly not breathe a word about drugging Prince Zuko. It seems I have skirted disaster, just barely.

Thinking back, I realize now that failing to capture the Avatar may have been a good thing. The Fire Nation is a dangerous enough place for Zuko as it is, what with his father and men like Zhou running it. With the arrival of the Avatar and the approach of the comet, returning my nephew to his homeland during this time of turmoil might have been a costly mistake. Yes...there is no need to be hasty...the best thing for Prince Zuko right now is to fight and watch from a distance. So perhaps my failure was a blessing in disguise...

But staying up through the night, and battling through it at that, I am exhausted. I need a good, long rest. Zuko turns and watches me as I head towards the door that leads below deck.

"Where are you going?" Prince Zuko intones, eyes following.

"I am going to sleep," I respond lazily, pausing at the door.

"Repairing the fisherman's ship couldn't have taken _that_ much time and effort," he snorts, "You sleep too much, Uncle."

"And you sleep too little, nephew," I smile as I go below deck. Yes, some good sleep is exactly what I need right now.

But first, I think I shall have some nice, calming tea.

* * *

Yay, VICTORY for Iroh! But we all knew he would come out okay, because he's such a trooper. Thank you for you kindly reviews, they have been an inspiration for me to write more! See you soon! 


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